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If you’ve ever wondered why some notebooks open and lay flat better than others, you’re not alone. I always found it frustrating that two notebooks that had roughly the same number of pages, the same binding and the same paper weight would open and lay flat completely differently. Then, one day I had my “Eureka” moment. Of course, anyone who …

When you get a new fountain pen or bottle of ink, where’s the first place you test it? What about when you meet up with someone else and want to try their fountain pens? How about if you want to try out a new font or doodle? For me, the answer to these questions is always the same. I have …

Tomoe River paper is, without a doubt, one of the most popular and loved fountain pen friendly papers on the market today, so it’s no surprise that more notebooks are being made with it. The Endless Recorder notebook is a perfect example of a notebook that takes Tomoe River paper and mixes it with some other useful features to create …

When I was contacted by Daisy and Neil from Yoseka Stationery about reviewing their Yoseka Notebook, I have to be honest, I had never heard of their company or notebook before. To be fair, it has only been around for about a year. Looking at their web page really had me intrigued though, so of course I said that I’d …

The Profolio Oasis notebook is a unique notebook that finds itself right in the middle of many popular notebooks with a similar amount of pages, size and price. Similar notebooks include the Midori MD, Apica Premium C.D. and Mnemosyne 183. Does the Profolio Oasis have what it takes to stand out in this crowd? First Impressions When I first picked …

Apica notebooks are not quite as popular in the fountain pen community as many other notebooks, but they are still very fountain pen friendly. You might remember my review of the Apica CD15 notebook. Today I’m going to take a look at the more upscale Apica Premium C.D. notebook. First Impressions It doesn’t take much to tell that this is …

Sometimes you just want a simple, inexpensive notebook that is still fountain pen friendly. I tend to review some fairly expensive notebooks and most people probably don’t want to spend $15-20 on a notebook for random scribbles. If you fall into this category, Apica’s notebooks might be just what you’re looking for. Not only are they extremely fountain pen friendly, …

It’s always nice when there’s something a little different about a notebook. The name is a little unusual, so it only makes sense the Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks are a little unusual as well. Mnemosyne is the Greek goddess of memory, so I suppose these notebooks should help you to remember things. What makes these notebooks unusual? They have a number …

I recently posted a review of the Baron Fig Vanguard notebooks. In it I mentioned how much I enjoy the paper, but that there is a significant difference between the paper in the Vanguard I and Vanguard II notebooks. I discovered this difference because I bought a new 3-pack of notebooks at a local shop that turned out to be …

Please read this additional article about my experience with Baron Fig notebooks before you purchase any! There are times when a notebook falls far short of my expectations. There are also times when a notebook far exceeds my expectations. Fortunately, the Baron Fig Vanguard falls squarely in the latter category. I had heard people talk about Baron Fig products with …

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About Me

Hi, my name is John. I’m a Colorado-born professional photographer who recently moved back to Denver after spending 3 years in San Francisco. I’ve been using and collecting fountain pens for over 20 years. I got my first one in college when I got bored taking notes with ballpoints and pencils. Since then I’ve bought and sold hundreds of pens, but have consistency in my love of Esterbrooks.